Hydro-mechanical and gas transport properties of bentonite blocks - role of interfaces

Document available in extended abstract form only. The long-term safety of the disposal of nuclear waste is an important issue in all countries with a significant nuclear programme. Repositories for the disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive waste generally rely on a multi-barrier system to isolate the waste from the biosphere. The multi-barrier system typically comprises the natural geological barrier provided by the repository host rock and its surroundings and an engineered barrier system (EBS), i.e. the backfilling and sealing of shafts and galleries to block any preferential path for radioactive contaminants. Because gas will be created in a radioactive waste repository performance assessment requires quantification of the relevancy of various potential pathways. Referring to the sealing plugs it is expected that in addition to the matrix properties of the sealing material conductive discrete interfaces inside the sealing elements itself and to the host rock may act not only as mechanical weakness planes but also as preferential gas pathways (Popp, 2009). For instance despite the assumed self sealing capacity of bentonite inherent existing interfaces may be reopened during gas injection. Our lab investigations are aiming on a comprehensive hydro-mechanical characterization of interfaces in bentonite buffers, i.e. (1) between prefabricated bentonite blocks itself and (2) on mechanical contacts of bentonite blocks and concrete to various host rocks, i.e. granite. We used as reference material pre-compacted bentonite blocks consisting of a sand clay-bentonite mixture but the variety of bentonite-based buffer materials has to be taken in mind. The blocks were manufactured in the frame work of the so-called dam - project 'Sondershausen', i.e. a German research project performed between 1997 and 2002. The blocks have a standard size of (250 x 125 x 62.5) mm. Approximately 500 t of such bentonite blocks have been produced and assembled in underground drift sealing elements. The investigations consist of: - long-term water injection tests in a new designed oedometer cell with different sample constellations under well controlled stress and swelling conditions to provide data about - time dependent interface 'permeability' changes during long-term compaction and fluid injection - gas entry pressures and relative gas permeability changes during pressure dependent gas injection; - shear tests to quantify mechanical interface properties of pre-saturated bentonite blocks under well controlled shear forces or displacements. As initial characterization both, triaxial and direct strength tests were performed, which allow to separate between matrix and interface properties. The investigations are being performed in the framework of the pan-European project FORGE project which aims on the generation and movement of repository gases. Results and interpretation The performed lab investigations cover a wide field of hydro-mechanical properties of bentonite blocks, which represent a favorable option for constructing sealing plugs in different host rock environments. Based on the experimental results the following conclusions can be drawn: - At dry conditions gas flow along interfaces is at least 4 orders higher than through the matrix. Increase of confinement significantly lowers the gas flow but the effect is more pronounced for interfaces → crack sealing. - Saturation of bentonite block assembly, i.e. blocks with a common interface, is not affected by the interfaces and only weakly by the acting confining pressure. - During gas injection a significant effect is only observed if the minimal stress is passed resulting in some minor gas flow. - The gas break through results in stationary inflow but no significant effect on the total stress is measured, probably due to the central gas injection. - The measured gas threshold pressures under constant volume conditions significantly exceed the sum of the swelling pressure and externally-applied pore water pressure - drained conditions. An important observation is that despite the former interface the bentonite block assembly behaves during the saturation of the buffer not different than the homogenous matrix. This has been confirmed as well by gas injection tests on the former interface as well by shear tests. The demonstration of the development of cohesion after pre-saturation is a favorable finding, because this verifies physical healing of the interface. In addition, cohesion inside the matrix helps to explain why the measured gas entry pressures are higher than the applied minimal stress